ATVs have become very popular consumer products in recent years. These vehicles are typically used to travel undeveloped terrain, often called “off-road” connoting the lack of paved or even defined paths. An ATV is typically a small straddle-seated multi-wheeled vehicle, having handlebar steering. Conventionally, ATVs have been single-passenger vehicles, with the operator situated athwart the vehicle, between the front and rear axles, on a backless seat.
Because of the versatility of ATVs in negotiating diverse types of terrain, ATVs have proved invaluable in applications for both off-road work and recreation. Such applications may require the transportation of cargo over rugged terrain. Conventionally on an ATV, cargo space is typically situated behind or in front of the operator in the form of one or more cargo racks.
A number of devices have been developed to accommodate the demands of one or more of these applications. However, many of these devices suffer from the limitation that they must be somehow attached to the ATV in such a fashion as to ensure that neither the device nor its contents will be dislodged, and that the safe operation of the ATV will not be compromised.
Thus, typically such devices are bolted or otherwise secured to the front and/or rear cargo racks. Still others require attachment to the body or frame of the ATV itself. The installation process for such devices is often complex and time-consuming, so that the devices are not easily removable, much less interchangeable. The installation of these devices involves permanent alteration of the ATV body or frame. As well, the installation of such devices invariably restricts, sometimes to a great extent, the cargo capacity of the ATV, whether or not the device is being used.
Even so, the provision of cargo space may not satisfy the requirements of a particular application. Frequently, in affixing a tool or a component to the ATV to ensure that it is not dislodged during transport, the tool or component cannot be accessed by the operator unless it is at least partially unpacked or unloaded. Thus, where the tool or component is being used in a repetitive manner, an enormous amount of time may be expended simply in lashing and unlashing it from the ATV.
Moreover, ATVs do not conventionally provide any electrical power access to the user. While conceptually, the electrical system of the ATV could be modified to gain access to DC power, such modifications are beyond the technical skills of most ATV owners, and fraught with difficulties which could endanger the operator and which may void any applicable warranties. Such modifications are generally extensive, permanent and unsightly. Nevertheless, the provision of electrical power, whether in DC or AC format, would permit the installation of powered accessories that would greatly improve the utility, convenience and enjoyment of the ATV.
Similarly, ATVs typically do not provide a power take-off (PTO) outlet by which accessories may be driven from power generated by the ATV drive train. As with electrical power, the modification of a conventional ATV to access such power, while desirable, is neither practical nor feasible.
On occasion, it would be desirable to transport a passenger on an ATV. Because the seat provided is somewhat larger than would be required for an operator alone, there is a temptation to carry a passenger on the same seat, directly behind the driver. However, especially in light of the rugged terrain that must be traversed, doing so introduces a significant stability issue considering the center of gravity is moved much more towards the rear of the vehicle.
There have been attempts to provide after-market passenger seats that may be bolted to the cargo rack behind the driver's seat. However, in order to maintain the passenger's seat in place, elaborate and complicated locking systems are required, thus incurring time and inconvenience in installing and removing the seat in addition to loosing important limited rear cargo space.
In U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/292,813 by Rondeau et al and assigned to the assignee of the present invention, and incorporated by reference herein, there is disclosed an extended wheelbase ATV which provides sufficient room between the front and rear axles to accommodate, in-line, both a driver and passenger seat. Because both the driver and passenger seating positions are centred over the ATV, the centre of gravity of the vehicle remains substantially centered, providing a more comfortable ride for both riders and maximizing the vehicle stability threshold.
However, in order to make sufficient room for a second seat, such ATVs generally have more limited cargo space than single passenger ATVs. Since the seat is contoured for a human passenger, it is not well suited to hauling cargo. It is not practical to remove the passenger seat from the ATV in order to increase cargo space. Thus, when the operator does not have a passenger to carry, the space now occupied by the passenger seat in such an ATV is wasted.
Accordingly, there remains a need in the art for a system for better utilizing the space created on a two-seater ATV with an extended wheelbase.